Movie Breakdown: A Quiet Place Part II
Pre-Screening Stance:
While I remain baffled that the sequel to A Quiet Place wasn’t titled A Quieter Place, I am excited to see it. Writer/director John Krasinski did a really solid job with the first film, and my gut says that Part II is going to be as good or better.
Post-Screening Ramble:
For those of you who simply were hoping for more of the same from A Quiet Place Part II, you’re going to be pretty happy with the film. It picks up right where the first one ends – the Abbott family, now comprised of Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and a newborn baby, have figured out a way to kill the monstrous creatures that hunt by sound. Hooray! However, this achievement made a lot of noise, which is bad, and it left their homestead on fire, which is also bad, so now they must venture into the world in search of help. Nearly right away, the Abbotts get into a very dangerous situation, but Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a family friend from before the world went to shit, swoops in and saves them. Convos then happen, details get shared, and the main, driving plot points for rest of the film slide into place.
I really enjoyed the way that A Quiet Place Part II doesn’t try to reinvent its own wheel. Like the first film, it’s full of quality scares and plenty of suspenseful moments that will have you gripping your armrest. It’s a legit fun movie, a real summer blockbuster, and if you’ve been waiting for the right film to draw you back into a theater, I think this is it. With that being said, if you were hoping to know more about the monsters, the global fallout from their arrival, and so on and so forth, you’re not really going to find that here, as John Krasinski doesn’t at all seemed interested (at least not yet) in telling that side of the story. Personally, I didn’t mind because I was having a damn good time, but if that’s something you’re wanting, you should dial your expectations back.
A Quiet Place Part II will open in theaters this Friday, May 28.
One Last Thought:
Emmett (Murphy) and Regan (Simmonds) are pretty much Joel and Ellie from The Last Of Us. If you can watch this film and not notice the striking similarities, then you probably haven’t played either of those games. On a related note, I’m sure the showrunners for the impending adaptation of The Last Of Us (for HBO) will be giving this movie a hard side-eye.
